Presser-foot for sewing-machines



Patented Jan. l7, I899.

No. 6l7,75l.

s. LASKEY.

PRESSER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

' (Application filed Mar. 22, 1897.)

(No Model.)

NITjED' STATES PATENT ries.

STEPHEN LA-SKEY, OF- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

" PRES-SER-FOOT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

srnorrxca'rron forming 'p'a'rt of Letters Patent 'i Io. 617,751, dated January 17,1899) 1' Application filed March 22, 1897. Serial No. 628,574. (No model.)

, To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, STEPHEN LASKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of-Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Presser-Feet for Sewing-Machines, which is fully set forth in the following specification, reference "being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a sewingmachine embodying my invention, showing the presser-foot before reaching a cross-seam. Fig. 2 is a similar view, omitting some of the parts previously illustrated, showing the presser-foot' in its first stage of passing such across-seam. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the presser-foot in the second stage of passing such a crossseam. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the pressorfoot. Fig.5 is avertical longitudinal section on the line 5 5 of. Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrow therein. Fig. 6 is a plan View of a portion of the mate-rial to be sewed.

My invention relates to presser-feetfor sewing-machines, and has for its object to enable such a presser-foot when meeting crossseams, particularly in the sewing of heavy material, to ride easily and readily over the same and to avoid in so doing the skipping of one or more stitches, which frequently re sults with the presser-feet constructed as heretofore.

My invention consists in that general construction of a presser-foot hereinafter explained, one. specific form of which-I have shown in the drawings and shall now more particularly-describe.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A represents the depending head of. any ordinary construction; 13, the needle-bar adapted to reciprocate therein, carying one or more needles B". For convenience of illustration I have shown but one needle B in the drawings. So far as my invention is concerned any number of needles may be employed, and in practice two will actually be used to make the double seams in heavy materials for which my presser-foot is particularly adapted.

The presser-bar O is carried by the head A in the usual manner and in turn carries the shank D. The shank D comprises an upper greater inwidth than the two latter and upright portion D, secured to the presserbar 0, a short offset horizontal'portionD and a downwardlyextending portion D provided on each side with a short arm- (1.

The presser-footitself,-E, actually consists of two parts pivotally connected with one'another, but may more conveniently be described as comprising three parts-a toe E,

an instep E and a heel E The toe E is turned upward, as at e, and the under surface ofthe toe is provided with ribs 6 along the edges of the under surface thereof, form ing a channel between the same adapted to receive the seam that is being sewed. The toe is further provided with one or more perforations 6 adapted to receive and corresponding in number to the needles employed.

Upon the upper surface of the arched instep E is formed a lug 6 adapted to remain normally out of contact-with the adjacent portion D? of the shank, but to bear against the same when the tee is elevated. Behind the lug e the instep E is .pivotally mounted in the arms (1 of the shank.

To the rearwardly and downwardly extending portion 6 of the instep E is pivoted the heel E of the presser-foot, which is preferably provided with an upturned front edge e. In the rear of its pivotal mounting it carries a coiled expanding spring e which extends upward and bears against the lower surface of the horizontal portion D of the shank D. k

F represents the working plate of the machine, and G a portion of the material to be sewed, shown as formed with a seam g in the process of being stitched and with a cross-' seam g already sewed.

The operation of this presser-foot, the con:

struction of which is hereinabove described,

may be now further explained. So long as the presser-foot travels along the seam g of its own sewing it will occupy substantially the position shownin Fig. 1.- When the toe first reaches the cross-seam g, it' will be slightly tilted up, pivoting upon its mounting in the presser-foot shank, and without materially elevating the shank or'presser-bar. This enablesthe foot easily to obtain a start in surmounting the cross-seam without having to lift the presser-bar so to do. As the toe rises and is fullyclevated to the height of the cross-seam the lug e bears against the adjacent portion 13 of the shank. The

5 pivoting of the toe is thereby stopped, and

the entire resser-foot, shank, and presserbar are elevated. This is the stage illustrated in Fig. 2. As the presser-foot continues to traverse the cross-scam, as shown in Fig. 3, the toe leaves the said cross-seam, while the heel bears upon the same. The

weight of the resser-bar now comes upon.

the heel in consequence. As a result the tee is thrust firmly downward upon the seam to be sewed beyond the cross-seam, and is there held so long as the heel of the resser-foot is traversing the cross-seam. The skipping of stitches which frequently results from the elevation of the toe above the seam to be sewed upon the farther side of the cross-seam is thus entirely avoided. The tee is always in close contact with the seam which is being sewed. Moreover, as the material still continues to move past the presser-foot the piv- 5 oting of the heel permits it to slide 0th from the farther side of the cross-seam gradually and without jar, and the 'presser-foot as a whole regains its normal position with the greatest flexibility and evenness of running. This position of the parts is made normal and therunning of the presser-foot more eflicient and smooth by the employment of the spring e, as shown and described.

It will be seen that themode of operation and construction employed in my invention is that of a compound presser-footin which the toe E is virtually one foot or leading member, while the elongated heel E is virtually anotherfootorsupplemental member. These feet or supplemental members are tread-surfaces, and the shank is their support.

An essential feature of my invention is the construction whereby the pivoted hee or auxiliary foot, whichever it may be termed,

45 has a long bearing-surface, as shown in the present form,comprising about one-half of the bearing-surface of the entire foot.

Another valuable feature of my construction is found in the fact that the upturned portion a, or toe, as it maybe called, of the supplemental foot is very close to the point at which the needle peace through the foot, aswill be seen inFig. 5. It resultsfrom this construction that as soon as the toe meets an obstruction, such as a seam, and rises additional pressure will be thereby .put upon the supplemental foot or elongated heel and that said supplemental foot, being pivoted, still maintains its horizontal position and, ex-

' tending forward to almost the place at which x the needle t: through the foot, will hold the material being sewed down very firmly, so as to prevent its rising and the consequent dropping of stitches. As soon as theheel or 6 5 supplemental foot reaches the obstruction or seam its toeinturnrimand what maybe called its F heel is pressed down more-firmly,

while at the same time the leading member of the footthat isto say, the toe E-rcsumes its normal pressure and position. f

It will be readily seen that my compound presser-foot can, by the yielding action of the different parts thereof, pass over an obstruction with much less jar and at the same time hold the cloth down more firmly than is possible in any construction where a compound foot is not employed.

It will be obvious that many changes in the details of construction and particularly in the form of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

That I claim therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A presser-footfor sewing-machines,comprising a support and tread-sections, one in advance of the other and having plane treadsurfaces, and loosely mounted upon the support to oscillate independently of the support and conform to the surfaces on which they bear, substantially as described.

2. In a presser-foot, the combination of the shank, with the compound resser-foot pivot ally connected thereto, the members of said compound presser foot having elongated bearingsurfaces and being pivotally connected to each other, one in advance of the other, substantially as described.

3. In a presser-foot, the combination of the shank, with the leading member of the compound presser-foot pivoted thereto, and the supplemental member pivotally connected to said leading member said members having elongated bearing-surfaces, substantially as described.

4. In a presser foot, the combination of the shank, with. the leading member of the compound presser-foot pivoted thereto, the supplemental member pivotally connected to said leading member said members having elongated bearing-surfaces, and a spring interposed between said shank and said supplemental member, substantially as and for the purpose described. 5.' In a presser-foot, a shank, a toe-piece pivotally mounted in said shank, and a heel having an elongated tread-surface sliding over the clothand pivotally connected to said toe-piece.

6. In a presser-foot, a shank; a toe-piece pivotally mountedinsaid shank,and provided with a stop to limit its upward movement; and a heel having an elongated tread-surface slidingover the cloth and pivotally connected to said toe-piece.

7. In a presser foot, the shank D; the toe E upturned as at c, and provided with the needle-aperture e; the instep E integral with the-toe E and pivoted in the said shank; and the heel E havingan elongated treadsurfaee sliding over the cloth and pivotally mounted in the rear portion of the said instep.

8. In a p-foot, the shank D; the toe E upturned as at e, provided with the needleaperture e; the instep E integral with the IOC Ill

toe E, pivoted in the said shank, and provided with a stop 6 and the elongated heel E having an elongated tread-surface sliding over the cloth and pivotally mounted in the rear portion of the saidinstep;

9. In a presser-foot, the shank D comprising the upright portion D, horizontal portion D and depending portion D the toe'E upturned as at e, provided on its under surfaces with the ribs e, and perforated as at e the instep E pivoted in the part D of the shank, and provided with the lug e adapted to contact therewith as the toe rises; and the heel E pivoted in the rear portion 6 of the instep.

10. In a presser-foot, the shank D compris- STEPHEN LASKEY.

Witnesses:

FLORA BRoM, A. A. MURRAY. 

